{"id":12595,"date":"2017-05-17T10:00:11","date_gmt":"2017-05-17T17:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=12595"},"modified":"2017-10-06T09:35:38","modified_gmt":"2017-10-06T16:35:38","slug":"the-balkan-rivers-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2017\/05\/17\/the-balkan-rivers-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"The Balkan Rivers Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What do you do when you find out a dam is going to be built on your home river? Do you start a petition, get other paddlers involved, write letters to politicians? When Slovenian kayaker Rok Rozman found out there were 2,700 proposed dams to be built in his backyard, the Balkan Peninsula, he did the opposite\u2014he went kayaking. And this seemingly simple action has started what has become the biggest river conservation movement in Europe. At its roots, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.balkanriverstour.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the Balkan Rivers Tour <\/a>(BRT) is about\u00a0saving rivers threatened by damming. But the success of this movement comes from something so organic, and so simple: having fun. BRT created an atmosphere where people were united in the fight for these rivers. Around the fire at the end\u00a0the day, \u00a0a biologist can mingle with a local villager, a fly fisherman with a whitewater kayaker, each person sharing their concern and connection to the river.<\/p>\n<p>The second BRT began in Slovenia with the Soca Source-to-Sea paddle: 138 kilometers through the &#8216;Emerald River,&#8217; which included portaging around five large dams that interrupt the could be free-flowing river.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12596\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12596\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12596\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183324\/BRT1_SocaRiver_JanPirnat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183324\/BRT1_SocaRiver_JanPirnat.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183324\/BRT1_SocaRiver_JanPirnat-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183324\/BRT1_SocaRiver_JanPirnat-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183324\/BRT1_SocaRiver_JanPirnat-1000x668.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12596\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Jan Pirnat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Paddling along the So\u010da River in Slovenia, kayakers from all over the world gathered to show their support of a free flowing So\u010da River and the opposition of dams there. Known as the Emerald River, the So\u010da is a kayakers paradise. In the summer, over 100 different rafting companies from all over the world use the river for commercial trips.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12597\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12597\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12597\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183323\/BRT2_PodseloDam_SocaRiver_JanPirnat-.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183323\/BRT2_PodseloDam_SocaRiver_JanPirnat-.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183323\/BRT2_PodseloDam_SocaRiver_JanPirnat--300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183323\/BRT2_PodseloDam_SocaRiver_JanPirnat--768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183323\/BRT2_PodseloDam_SocaRiver_JanPirnat--1000x668.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12597\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Jan Pirnat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After rappelling boats and people around the first of seven dams on the So\u010da River, kayakers participating in the Balkan Rivers Tour So\u010da Source-to-Sea Action could literally feel the difference in the water after the massive Podselo dam. Many of the dams encountered on the So\u010da operate below their intended capacity and have greatly altered the ecology of the \u2018Emerald River\u2019.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12598\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12598\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12598 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183322\/BRT3_day3_SocaRiver_JanPirnat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183322\/BRT3_day3_SocaRiver_JanPirnat.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183322\/BRT3_day3_SocaRiver_JanPirnat-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183322\/BRT3_day3_SocaRiver_JanPirnat-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183322\/BRT3_day3_SocaRiver_JanPirnat-1000x667.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12598\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Jan Pirnat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Shouldering boats, the kayakers of the Balkan Rivers Tour portage the Ajba dam in Slovenia on day three of the\u00a0So\u010da Source-to-Sea Action. Being forced out of the water and onto the pavement, the mood became more somber with each dam encountered along the river that runs from the mountains of Slovenia through Italy, draining in the Adriatic Sea.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12599\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12599\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12599 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183322\/BRT4_SocaRiver-and-Adriatic-Sea_JanPirnat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183322\/BRT4_SocaRiver-and-Adriatic-Sea_JanPirnat.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183322\/BRT4_SocaRiver-and-Adriatic-Sea_JanPirnat-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183322\/BRT4_SocaRiver-and-Adriatic-Sea_JanPirnat-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183322\/BRT4_SocaRiver-and-Adriatic-Sea_JanPirnat-1000x668.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12599\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Jan Pirnat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The fresh water became salty as the Balkan Rivers Tour paddled the So\u010da River as it becomes one with the Adriatic Sea. Cheers, toasts and celebrations could be heard across the water as the group relished in the completion of the So\u010da Source-to-Sea Action in protest of hydro development.<\/p>\n<p>After paddling the emerald waters of the So\u010da River in Slovenia and Italy, a four-person group of the Balkan Rivers Tour team boarded a ferry for Greece and upon arrival, headed straight for the mountains. Paddling pristine canyons was contrasted by touring dam construction sites and power plants, scenes that can be seen on any one of the hundreds of rivers in the Balkans that are under threat of being dammed, diverted and destroyed.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12623\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12623\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12623\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183318\/BRT-1-_-Greece-Arachtos2_Andraz-Fijavz-Bacovnik.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183318\/BRT-1-_-Greece-Arachtos2_Andraz-Fijavz-Bacovnik.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183318\/BRT-1-_-Greece-Arachtos2_Andraz-Fijavz-Bacovnik-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183318\/BRT-1-_-Greece-Arachtos2_Andraz-Fijavz-Bacovnik-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183318\/BRT-1-_-Greece-Arachtos2_Andraz-Fijavz-Bacovnik-1000x667.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12623\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Andraz Fijavz Bacovnik<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s no wonder the ancient Greeks believed that Gods resided in these valleys. Accessing the colorful canyons of the Kalaritikos and Arachthos by kayak allows for endless and remote fly-fishing locations.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12624\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12624\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12624\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183317\/BRT-2_Metsovitikos_Andraz-Fijavz-Bacovnik.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183317\/BRT-2_Metsovitikos_Andraz-Fijavz-Bacovnik.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183317\/BRT-2_Metsovitikos_Andraz-Fijavz-Bacovnik-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183317\/BRT-2_Metsovitikos_Andraz-Fijavz-Bacovnik-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183317\/BRT-2_Metsovitikos_Andraz-Fijavz-Bacovnik-1000x667.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12624\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Andraz Fijavz Bacovnik<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The difference between the jaw-dropping beauty and clear waters of the Arachthos, Kalaritikos, Voidomatis and Aoos Rivers of Greece was felt deeply as the team paddled, filmed and photographed the garbage-strewn and rebar-littered Metsovitikos River, where construction is underway to divert the river through pipes in the mountains, eliminating the already meager but stunning flow found there.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12625\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12625\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12625\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183316\/BRT-3_-Valbona_AndrazKrpic-.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183316\/BRT-3_-Valbona_AndrazKrpic-.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183316\/BRT-3_-Valbona_AndrazKrpic--300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183316\/BRT-3_-Valbona_AndrazKrpic--768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183316\/BRT-3_-Valbona_AndrazKrpic--1000x667.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12625\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Andraz Fijavz Bacovnik<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hearing the blast of dynamite and seeing the riverside destruction on the Valbona, the urgency and injustice of a private company demolishing a river in a National Park is something that can not only be seen but also felt.<\/p>\n<p>Paddling under sprinkling cascades while watching birds of prey soar through the hundred-foot walls of the Mora\u010da River, jaws dropped and paddle strokes slowed. As the Balkan Rivers team descended the Mora\u010da River in Montenegro, the potential for rafting, SUP, fly fishing and incredible class II-V kayaking was experienced by each paddler. The Mora\u010da Source-to-Sea Action marked the end of the Balkan Rivers Tour 2 and saw the team follow the unobstructed and un-dammed flow of water, from the high alpine on the Mora\u0107a, to Lake Skadar and into the Bojana River where the BRT team paddled into the Adriatic Sea.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12673\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183249\/BRT_UpperMoraca_Andraz_Krpic-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183249\/BRT_UpperMoraca_Andraz_Krpic-2.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183249\/BRT_UpperMoraca_Andraz_Krpic-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183249\/BRT_UpperMoraca_Andraz_Krpic-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183249\/BRT_UpperMoraca_Andraz_Krpic-2-1000x667.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Zan Kuncic bounces amongst the boulders of the Upper Mora\u010da as the Balkan Rivers Tour starts the source-to-sea descent of the Mora\u010da in the high alpine of Montenegro.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12672\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183249\/BRT_MiddleMoraca_Jan_Pirnat-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183249\/BRT_MiddleMoraca_Jan_Pirnat-8.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183249\/BRT_MiddleMoraca_Jan_Pirnat-8-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183249\/BRT_MiddleMoraca_Jan_Pirnat-8-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183249\/BRT_MiddleMoraca_Jan_Pirnat-8-1000x668.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The deep canyons of the middle Mora\u010da are a paradise for kayaks, rafts and even SUPs. Imagine a 100-foot concrete wall here? The Mora\u010da is in danger of almost 20 small hydro dams. Losing this river would be a tragedy. Balkan Rivers Tour is working with local organizations and tourism outlets to keep the beauty flowing.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12671\" src=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183250\/BRT_Lake-Skadar_Jan_Pirnat-21.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183250\/BRT_Lake-Skadar_Jan_Pirnat-21.jpg 2500w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183250\/BRT_Lake-Skadar_Jan_Pirnat-21-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183250\/BRT_Lake-Skadar_Jan_Pirnat-21-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/31183250\/BRT_Lake-Skadar_Jan_Pirnat-21-1000x667.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Switching from creek boats to sea kayaks, the Balkan Rivers Team used the wind instead of the flow to paddle from the Mora\u010da along Lake Skadar and into the Bojana River, eventually reaching the Adriatic Sea 200 kilometers later. All in the name of free flowing rivers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What do you do when you find out a dam is going to be built on your home river? Do you start a petition, get&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47958,"featured_media":12672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[336],"tags":[323,62,84],"class_list":["post-12595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-explore","tag-drawntowater","tag-conservation","tag-dam-removal","post-grid"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Balkan Rivers Tour | Duct Tape Diaries | NRS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Balkan Rivers Tour is the biggest river conservation movement in Europe. 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This year, the BRT began in Slovenia and ended paddling into the Adriatic Sea.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2017\/05\/17\/the-balkan-rivers-tour\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Duct Tape Diaries\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nrsweb\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-05-17T17:00:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-10-06T16:35:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/31183116\/facebook-Linked_Image___BRT_UpperMoraca_Andraz_Krpic-2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"837\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Carmen Kuntz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@nrsweb\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@nrsweb\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Carmen Kuntz\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2017\\\/05\\\/17\\\/the-balkan-rivers-tour\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2017\\\/05\\\/17\\\/the-balkan-rivers-tour\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Carmen Kuntz\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3fb29b6e10b0ec7aa5e52790a8c53466\"},\"headline\":\"The Balkan Rivers Tour\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-05-17T17:00:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-10-06T16:35:38+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2017\\\/05\\\/17\\\/the-balkan-rivers-tour\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":939,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2017\\\/05\\\/17\\\/the-balkan-rivers-tour\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\\\/duct-tape\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/04\\\/31183249\\\/BRT_MiddleMoraca_Jan_Pirnat-8.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"#DrawnToWater\",\"conservation\",\"dam removal\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Explore\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2017\\\/05\\\/17\\\/the-balkan-rivers-tour\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2017\\\/05\\\/17\\\/the-balkan-rivers-tour\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Balkan Rivers Tour | Duct Tape Diaries | NRS\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2017\\\/05\\\/17\\\/the-balkan-rivers-tour\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/2017\\\/05\\\/17\\\/the-balkan-rivers-tour\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\\\/duct-tape\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/04\\\/31183249\\\/BRT_MiddleMoraca_Jan_Pirnat-8.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-05-17T17:00:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-10-06T16:35:38+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.nrs.com\\\/duct-tape\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3fb29b6e10b0ec7aa5e52790a8c53466\"},\"description\":\"The Balkan Rivers Tour is the biggest river conservation movement in Europe. 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